Seoul , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Campus protests against rising tuition fees are considered a ritual at South Korean universities .

Each year the tuition goes up , students bring out banners and loudspeakers , shave their heads , take over the university president 's office and use other creative methods to get the schools to cut back on tuition . The fight usually comes to an end by the time flowers start blooming on campus .

But final exams are almost over in the country and students are still protesting . This year they are not fighting with their schools , they have taken to the streets , sometimes in the thousands , and are pointing their fingers at the government .

`` Halve the tuition , '' is their slogan .

Students and parents say they are tired of the unaffordable prices , lack of scholarships and paling quality of college education . Stories of students and fathers committing suicide due to the pressure of tuition circulated in the local media earlier this year , and students are frustrated with President Lee Myung-bak for not having kept his campaign promise to reduce college tuition by half if he was voted into power .

The administration said it was the president 's pledge to reduce private education in half that was taken out of context by protesters . However , the government said it understands the importance of education and is coordinating with related ministries to help find a solution .

Whatever the promise , students say the cost of tuition and living is too high . Taking classes , doing assignments , and taking on part-time jobs in their free time , they say , leaves no room for self-development .

The average tuition fee at a private university can cost up to $ 7,000 U.S. , while the average income hovers above the $ 20,000 mark . South Korea has the third highest tuition among OECD countries but falls behind the average of those in state scholarships and student loans , according to the Ministry of Education .

Lee Hye-su , a 22-year-old journalism major , believes student loans are better than nothing . She is in her sophomore year and is roughly $ 16,000 in debt . Having been fired from a campus restaurant with only a day 's warning , she is now living on what little savings she has and needs to find another part-time job .

Lee said , after her freshman year , she was n't sure she wanted to continue pursuing a university education . So she took a year off , she said .

`` I was n't sure if the education I was receiving was worth all these loans , '' Lee said .

However , Lee decided that in a country where more than 80 % of students go to university , if she did n't earn a college degree she would not stand a chance in the job market . To get through her university education , Lee said she will take another year off to patch up her financial troubles .

`` In the case of tuition , I 'm taking out student loans , so I 'll be focusing on making money for living costs . At least for tuition fees I can take out loans for now , '' said Lee . By the time she graduates , Lee will have accumulated nearly $ 32,000 in student loans .

This is why Lee took part in a major student rally in Seoul earlier this month , and said she continues to attend the demonstrations as long as they last . She is hoping collective voices will make a change .

By her side is her friend Lim Cho-youn , who has taken out $ 15,000 in student loans and relies heavily on her parents for financial support . She said she is not proud of that .

`` I ca n't ask my parents to shoulder all of that for me , so I 'm usually working part-time jobs non-stop , '' Lim said at the protest . Lim goes to classes four days a week and works nine-hour shifts at a supermarket for the remaining three days .

`` I personally want the tuition to be cheaper , but I think that 's not something I can do on my own . I think everyone needs to come together with their opinion so that our voices are heard , and I think it 's important that everyone takes action together , '' she said .

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South Korean students protest high tuition fees

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Students say South Korea 's president did n't keep promise to halve tuition costs

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University tuition fee average $ 7,000 , while income is $ 20,000 in South Korea